Sortino Luca
Chair in Hybrid Nanosystems, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80539, Munich, Germany.
Light Sci Appl. 2025 Jan 1;14(1):3. doi: 10.1038/s41377-024-01662-4.
Multilayered van der Waals (vdW) materials are semiconductors composed of atomically thin crystal layers, held together by weak vdW forces. They offer unique crystal structures and electronic properties, distinct from conventional semiconductors, making them a promising platform for linear and nonlinear optics. In this context, the large refractive indexes given by highly polarizable transition metals, combined with excitonic resonances and unconventional crystalline structures, provides a toolbox for exploring non-linear physics and strong light-matter interactions with unprecedented opportunities for nanoscale optics. Recent reports highlight novel vdW materials, particularly PdPSe, a pentagonal crystal with strong nonlinear responses, and AsS, a record high birefringence crystal, as favorable candidates to engineer nonlinear responses and miniaturization of optical components, owing to the combination of high refractive index and strong optical anisotropy of the underlying crystal structures. While still in its infancy, research on vdW materials promise a florid ground for fundamental studies, bridging the gap between material science and nanoscale optics.
多层范德华（vdW）材料是由原子级薄的晶体层组成的半导体，这些晶体层通过弱范德华力结合在一起。它们具有独特的晶体结构和电子特性，与传统半导体不同，这使其成为线性和非线性光学领域一个很有前景的平台。在这种背景下，由高极化率过渡金属给出的大折射率，与激子共振和非常规晶体结构相结合，为探索非线性物理和强光 - 物质相互作用提供了一个工具箱，为纳米级光学带来了前所未有的机遇。最近的报告强调了新型vdW材料，特别是具有强烈非线性响应的五边形晶体PdPSe和创纪录高双折射晶体AsS，由于其底层晶体结构的高折射率和强光光学各向异性的结合，它们是设计非线性响应和光学元件小型化的理想候选材料。虽然对vdW材料的研究仍处于起步阶段，但有望为基础研究提供一片繁荣的天地，弥合材料科学与纳米级光学之间的差距。
